Head Trauma
by Purtail
Summary: The jeep crashes on the way back to civilization. Morals come into play when an enemy is on the edge of life and death.
1. The Accident

**Head Trauma**

**Summary: **The jeep crashes on the way back to civilization. Morals come into play when someone they all hate is on the edge of life and death.

**Notes: **Eheh... I'm shameless. There we go, I'll admit it. :3

**Disclaimer: **I don't own 999. If I did, you'd see more of the story through Ace's POV. And he'd get more development.

* * *

**Head Trauma**

**Chapter 1: The Accident**

"Shit, Clover, watch the road!"

"Huh?! Whaaaaaaa-!"

I screwed my eyes shut and braced for impact, my fingers clenched tightly around the leather seating. My companions did the same as our jeep collided with a pole, and began to roll down the hill.

We had been driving for what felt like an eternity, finally pushing the memory of the Nonary Game to the backs of our minds. All I could see for hours was the beige sand of the Nevada desert; it was becoming really boring, to be honest.

But after the fifth hour in this godforsaken frying pan, we reached some sort of civilization. Just in time, too – we were all getting a little restless. And between Seven's snoring, Snake's ramblings, Lotus's complaining, Clover's screeching, and Ace's... Ace-ness, I was at my wit's end.

Still, I wasn't expecting our psychotic, barely-legal driver to actually _crash_. We tumbled down the side of the road, the windows cracking and splitting open. I screamed until my throat grew raw; everyone else seemed to be yelling as loudly (if not louder). Seven, however, had woken up and reverted back to his heroic persona.

Before I realized what was happening, a giant arm laced around my body and began to drag me out of the car. I saw Snake dangling next to me, and Lotus and Clover around Seven's other arm. With a roar of power, the large man bashed open the remaining parts of a window with mountain-like force and leaped onto the hillside.

After being set down, I rubbed my neck and watched the jeep continue to flip all the way down the hill. Eventually it stopped, crashing upside-down onto the forest floor at the bottom.

"Wow..." Lotus murmured.

Seven cracked his neck. "Yeah. We almost got killed... again."

Clover swallowed hard and clasped a hand around her brother's. "S...sorry, guys. I-I really don't... have my license, so... I didn't k-know..." She was clearly shaken up, with tears piling at the end of her eyes.

Sighing, I answered her, "It's okay, Clover. Look guys, it's alright because nobody got hur-" The words dissolved on my tongue, and I felt a chilling sensation course through my body. We forgot someone, and everyone seemed to realize at once.

"_Hongou!_"

Instantly, we charged down the hill. Yeah, none of us liked him, and he probably deserved this, but... but dammit, I didn't like it! Maybe after being with those people for the longest nine hours of my fucking _life_... I guess I sort of bonded with all of them. And Hongou had done terrible things, but I couldn't help but remember the cool old man I had a joke-off with in the Captain's Quarters.

The jeep was trashed, the windows little more than shattered bits of glass now. Its underside was dented and covered in holes. The whole appearance screamed 'No trade-in value'.

But nothing really mattered now, with a man's life on the line. Didn't really matter who that man was at this point.

With a grunt of power, Seven pried the trunk open. Instantly, something rolled out onto the cold forest floor, and we all gasped in horror.

He looked terrible. With his arms and legs still bound, it was obvious he wasn't able to even attempt to escape or dodge the glass. And indeed, the glass had cut into him; lacerations covered his limbs and body, his coat torn up and ripped in various places. Some small glass shards even stuck out of his face. But the worst of it all was the back of his head, which bore a horrible wound. Blood was caked into his golden-brown and gray hair, and had already started pooling around his head.

"Jesus..." Lotus murmured under her breath, unconsciously taking a step towards Seven.

A little while off, I heard Clover describe the scene to Snake. The princely young man had a grim expression on his face, and sauntered forward towards our unconscious foe. He then placed two fingers on Hongou's neck, frowning as he did so.

"He has no pulse." The words were like rocks settling into my stomach. Swallowing hard, I glanced around to my companions, the words dying on my tongue.

Finally, Clover whispered what we were all thinking. "We... we're murderers..."

True, we didn't kill him, but our negligence did. The thought turned my blood cold.

"Oh no, we ain't!" Seven yelled, breaking the deathly silence in the air. He dragged Hongou to a flat surface on the forest floor and ripped the duct tape off his mouth. With a grunt of effort, he began to push down on the older man's chest, attempting to jumpstart his heart. I guess Seven was a cop through and through, and didn't want anyone – even criminals – dying on him.

After a few moments, Hongou finally coughed and started sucking in air greedily. Seven leaned back and fell onto his backside, wiping his forehead off in relief.

We had dodged the bullet – for now. But blood soon spurted from Hongou's lips, and we all knew the danger was still evident. The wound on his head didn't help,either; blood kept seeping out from it, staining the ground red. Was he having a brain hemorrhage?

Snake spoke up. "I suggest we take him somewhere. A hospital, perhaps?"

"Take him to Cradle," Lotus scoffed under her breath. No one laughed.

With a grunt, Seven hoisted Hongou gently into his arms – funny, I didn't even think Seven could _be_ gentle – and turned to us. Just like that, our time with that older man in the ship, the things he'd done in the past, who he'd killed, and who'd he'd almost killed – all was forgotten. It was as all the history had been wiped away from our memories. Someone was hurt, and our protagonist senses were tingling.

I glanced over at the others. Snake seemed pensive (then again, what else is new?), Clover had her hand clamped firmly around his arm, and Lotus was looking off into the distance. Kicking some leaves away from my shoe, I murmured, "Well guys... we should go."

They all nodded in unison, and we trudged back up the hillside.

It didn't take us that long to walk to the small town nearby. Yeah, we got some strange looks... though I can't say I blame anyone. A half-naked grandma, pink-haired lolita lookalike, a prince with his eyes closed, and a giant man carrying a bleeding mess like he was a bride. Not to mention the hot young stud in the plaid.

Anyway, while we trekked en route to the nearest hospital, I noticed how quiet Seven was. And the silence was something that was really hard to ignore; wasn't this the same guy who never stopped rambling back on the ship? I don't think I'll ever be able to forget "two hot orphans". It was nearly as eerie as seeing Hongou – another talkative man – deathly still.

But Seven's lack of enthusiasm was definitely the most concerning. He wasn't even cracking a smile.

Glancing over at him, I asked, "Hey, Seven, you okay?"

"...huh?" The mountain seemed to snap out of his thoughts and, with a quick glance down at Hongou, replied, "Yeah, m'fine. Sorry." But he still kept his mouth shut the rest of our walk through the town.

"L-look, guys," Clover announced after a while, pointing to a giant white building with a red plus on the side.

"Let's go!" I exclaimed, and we rushed in.


	2. The Guilt

**Head Trauma**

**Summary: **The jeep crashes on the way back to civilization. Morals come into play when someone they all hate is on the edge of life and death.

**Notes: **This isn't going to be a long fic. Just a plot bunny stretched out into 3 or 4 chapters. :3

**Disclaimer: **I don't own 999. If I did, you'd see more of the story through Ace's POV. And he'd get more development.

* * *

**Head Trauma**

**Chapter 2: The Guilt**

Hongou was taken into the emergency room almost instantly. The staff took one look at the lifeless bundle in Seven's arms and grabbed a stretcher. After we explained what happened with our jeep, the nurses at the information desk insisted they examined the rest of our group. Despite our attempts to refuse, they were persistent.

Once everyone proved to be healthy, the five of us sat around in the waiting room, discussing where to go from here. It was obvious Hongou's treatment was going to take a while; we could either wait and take him with us once he recovered, or leave him here and move on.

"Wait a damn second!" Lotus snapped in response to the latter suggestion. "That guy kidnapped my daughters! He put a gun to my head! No _way _am I letting him get off scott free!"

_Yeah, Lotus, I don't think any of us want that. But we're sorta stuck._

"Perhaps we should discuss the pros and cons of each option?" Snake suggested.

Clover nodded. "If we stay here, we'll get home later." She curled her knees up to her chest. "I wanna go home..." she sighed, closing her eyes for a brief moment.

Biting my lip, I said, "But if we wait, we'll be able to turn Hongou in once we get back to Japan."

"I just want to go home..." Clover repeated, her eyelids drooping. It was then that I realized that we all were exhausted; between the nine-hour hell and the nonstop driving, the yawns and baggy eyes were starting to take their toll.

"Let's go see if we can find a hotel," I announced, standing up.

Lotus scowled. "With what money?"

That was a good point. I doubt the hotel clerks were going to buy that we just had a life-threatening experience and were ready to collapse at any moment.

I crossed my arms and pondered this. I already checked my pocket back in the ship; Akane confiscated my wallet, and I assumed she took the others', as well.

However, I lit up as Snake pulled out a rather lavishing-looking wallet from his robe pocket. It was like a beacon of hope; though my eyes were playing tricks on me at this point, I swear it was glowing and accompanied by an angelic chorus.

"Hmm? Do not tell me you four did not know of this?" He waved the celestial rectangle around a bit. "Granted, it was in the jeep before it crashed. Aoi and Akane were kind enough to leave us a decent amount of money."

I sighed in relief. "Alright, good... let's go find a hotel. Oh, and we should probably buy clothes and food." Was it ironic that sleep was my first priority at this point, even over my gnawing hunger?

Clover nodded and seemed to regain a bit of her enthusiasm. "Okay. But I call going shopping first."

"Uh-uh, hun, I think that privilege belongs to me," Lotus argued, her tone almost playful.

"No way, hag! Age before beauty doesn't apply here!"

"Why, you-!"

As the two women had their half-hearted spat, I glanced over at Snake and Seven. "Well guys, I guess we should go find the town's hotel. We can check on Hongou's condition tomorrow."

Snake nodded in agreement, but Seven was still quiet. He was covering his eyes with his beanie, obviously deep in thought.

"Hey, Seven?" I asked, walking up to him.

The mountain looked back at me with a somber expression. "Uh, yeah, Junpei, listen... I don't think I can go with you guys."

"What do you mean?" Lotus asked, hearing his words over her fight with Clover.

"We're not leaving you behind," I added.

Seven shook his head. "No, no, it's nothin' like that. I just can't go tonight. I'm gonna... I'm gonna stay here, 'kay?"

Raising an eyebrow, I asked, "Why would you wanna stay _here_ over a hotel?"

The taller man grimaced and replied, "I just... I just am gonna, alright? Don't want Hongou running off in the middle of the night, y'know?"

_Seriously?! _We all knew Hongou wasn't going anywhere for a _long _time; in fact, it was possible he might never even wake up at all. I didn't want to say that, but I could tell everyone was thinking it.

And don't get me wrong, I didn't think Seven was stupid – well, he could be brainless sometimes, but he wasn't _stupid_. There had to be an ulterior motive for him choosing to stay here, with the uncomfortable chairs and stuffy smell of antiseptic. I wondered briefly if this was connected to his recent behavior, but shook my weary mind clear quickly. I could think about this later on.

"Alright," I said with a shrug. It wasn't hurting anybody. "We'll be back tomorrow morning. See ya."

I slept like a log last night. Also, it's worth mentioning that Snake is just as princely in his sleep; he didn't move once during the night. It was kinda nice.

We all went to breakfast, grabbed something to-go for Seven, and headed off to the hospital. I pinched my nose as the stench of sickness swirled around me the moment I walked through the door.

I glanced around, but Seven was nowhere to be found.

"That idiot..." Lotus muttered, crossing her arms.

"Seven!" Clover called out, only to be shushed by her brother.

"It's best not to yell here," Snake advised, "Especially a nickname. I'm afraid no one will take you seriously."

That did make sense. I wondered what Seven's real name was; did he even remember?

Well, maybe he could tell me later. I walked up to the nurses behind the counter, seeing instantly how they eyed our group with wariness. Jeez. Were we that scary?

'Have you seen a taller guy? Like a mountain?" I asked, tracing a big triangle in the air with my fingers.

One of the nurses arched an eyebrow and finally replied, "He's in Mr. Hongou's room. Room 244."

"Thanks." My mind automatically calculated the digital root of that number; figures it would be a '1'.

Our group hesitantly headed up the stairs, gazing around the place. Hospitals always made me uncomfortable – I don't know, something about the dormant diseases and zombie-like patients got me nervous.

But we soon reached room 244 without encountering any of the nearly-dead undead. Peering in, we noticed Seven immediately (well duh, he was sort of hard to miss).

The mountainous man was sitting in a chair a ways off from Hongou's bed, his beanie over his eyes. Soft snores echoed throughout the small room. With a grin, Clover walked over to him and punched him lightly in the arm.

"Hey! Wake up!" she yelled, her shrill voice nearly shattering my ear drums.

Seven snapped awake. "Huh? What!?" Disoriented, he looked around and, upon seeing us, took a deep breath. "Jeez... I just got to sleep."

"I told you it wasn't a good idea to stay here," I replied, shaking my head.

"I know, I know..." The large man scrubbed a hand down his face and let out an exhausted sigh. Now that I got a closer look at him, he looked like death itself, with his face pale and bags under his eyes.

"Guys, I think Seven might need more food than what we got him. Mind going to the vending machine?" I asked, handing some of my share of the money to Snake.

With a nod, the princely young man walked out of the room, Clover following suit. Lotus stood for a moment, her gaze flicking between me, Seven, and the comatose man in the bed. Finally, she let out an uncomfortable sigh and walked out of the room, yelling after the siblings to wait for her.

"Junpei, you know... I'm not really all that hungry..." Seven muttered.

I turned around to face him, and replied sheepishly, "I just wanted them out of the room." Pausing for a moment to choose my words carefully, I continued, "You've been off since the car crash. What's up?"

The mountain sighed and took off his beanie, twisting it in his hands. "You're gonna think it's ridiculous," he mumbled under his breath.

"Try me. After everything that just happened, I seriously doubt it."

With another sigh, Seven replied, "Fine... I just... sorta... feel guilty about the jeep crash, y'know?"

Blinking, I tilted my head slightly. What did he mean, 'guilty'? Seven saved our lives when the jeep was tumbling down the hill. He was the one who reacted while we were all screaming like helpless infants. What could he possible feel bad about?

"Seven... you saved our lives."

"Yeah, well... I didn't even think about _him_!" A large hand was gestured towards Hongou, who I hadn't gotten a good look at yet.

With a bandage wrapped tightly around his head and IVs stuck in him, Hongou looked a lot less intimidating. He also had an oxygen mask around his mouth; for whatever reason, I didn't know. I wasn't very knowledgable about doctor stuff, but I thought those masks were used only if you either couldn't get enough air or your lungs were filled with smoke. But there were probably other uses, and thank God I'm not a doctor, because I have no clue what they are.

There was a sudden tension in the air that constricted around me. Rubbing the back of my neck uncomfortably, I stammered, "Y-yeah, but... he _is _our enemy..."

"Don't care," Seven snapped in reply. "As a cop, I should'a thought about everyone, not just the people I _like_." He shook his head and sighed for the umpteenth time. "I just... I should'a grabbed him, too."

I didn't know what to say to that. Instead of saying anything at all, I simply placed a hand on Seven's shoulder.

We sat in silence until the others came back.


	3. The Plan

**Head Trauma**

**Summary: **The jeep crashes on the way back to civilization. Morals come into play when someone they all hate is on the edge of life and death.

**Notes: **Oh, it's worth mentioning that this fic won't solve some of the game's conflicts. Like, "where's Akane?" "Is Hongou going to be in jail? How long"? Etc. This is a ficlet, nothing more. :P So don't expect any major plot developments here.

Probably.

Also, the next chapter will be partially in Seven's POV.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own 999. If I did, you'd see more of the story through Ace's POV. And he'd get more development.

* * *

**Head Trauma**

**Chapter 3: The Plan**

"So Seven, did the doctors say anything about Hongou?" I asked, watching the man shove some potato chips into his mouth. Guess he really was hungry, after all.

Snake, Clover, and Lotus had since returned and we all went down to chill in the lobby.

"Nah," Seven replied through a mouth full of junk food. "They came in once and checked on 'im, but I wasn't listenin' to all that medical mumbo-jumbo."

"Seven!" I yelled, my tone almost scolding. "We need to know whether to go or stay."

"Well... we could go ask if it's buggin' ya." The large man still seemed off; he was more irritable and quiet. Maybe it was from the sleepless night (not that I didn't warn him!).

I crossed my arms and huffed, "Yeah, I think that's sorta important!"

"Okay, okay..." Seven groaned, gulping down the last of his snack and, not even bothering to wipe the crumbs off his face, sauntered over to the front desk.

The nurses decided to be generous and let us know about the old man's condition. Given that we _were _the ones who brought him in, I suppose it was only fair.

Apparently, Hongou had suffered from severe head trauma, and one of his arm bones had shattered upon impact. A few of his ribs had cracked too, and there was some internal bleeding.

While the doctor and his harem of nurses explained everything to us, I could see Seven's teeth sinking deeper and deeper into his lip. Shit, was he feeling _that _guilty? He hadn't hurt Hongou – it was an _accident_. And besides that, the old man was a criminal, wasn't he? I'm not one to wish ill on anyone, but Seven had a bad history with the guy. Should he feel at least a little schadenfreude to his old enemy being so messed up?

"How long's the guy gonna be out?" The mountain asked suddenly.

The nurses glanced at each other and answered, "We don't know. It could take weeks for Mr. Hongou to awaken. We may even have to perform a thoroactomy – chest surgery."

I swear I saw Seven wince.

"Seven," I whispered after the medical staff dispersed. "I think we need to figure out a game plan here."

"I...I get ya. But he's my responsibility. You guys need to catch the next flight outta here," he rumbled in response.

Pursing my lips, I insisted, "I don't want to leave you behind."

"Well ya should. Cops here won't believe me if I tell 'em he set up a fucking death trap nine years ago. They'd prob'ly ask me what the hell I've been smoking."

I cracked a smirk at the thought. "You speaking from experience?"

Seven grew quiet again, tugging his beanie down to cover his eyes. "Yeah, guess I am. Cradle's damage control made sure my voice wasn't heard, so most of my accusations against Hongou and his crew weren't worth shit.

Now I finally got Hongou on a silver platter and I can't do nothin' yet. Figures I'd screw up and he'd end up not being able to go anywhere for a while. Maybe never again. And fuck, I may hate Hongou more than most things, but even he doesn't deserve this." The large man shook his head further and sighed, returning to his chair.

Wordlessly, I followed and sat down next to him. "Hey," I said, once again placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright. Dude, we just made it out of the a stationary Titanic. Things are gonna be fine."

Seven blinked. "Positive little spitfuck, aren't ya?"

I scowled. "What does _that_ mean?"

He curled his lips into a smile and chuckled. "Nothin'. We should probably tell the others what's up, huh?"

"Yeah."

We glanced at the group squabbling nearby, a few meters away from the door. Well, more like another round of Clover vs. Lotus, with Snake shaking his head in disapproval. Seven and I ran over to them, breaking up the fight in the process.

"So what's the deal with that monster?" Lotus snapped, crossing her arms. I didn't blame her for being hostile, but it probably wasn't appropriate in this situation.

Seven shot her a glance, and explained, "He's pretty banged up. Might be out for a while. You guys need to go home, y'hear? I'll stay here with the old bastard."

The older woman stubbornly stomped her foot. "Quit trying to be a hero! It just makes you seem more stupid than you are!"

"Whatcha say, grandma?"

"Oh, sorry, should I say it slower so you can understand?"

"Shut up, hag!"

"Guys! _Calm down_!" I cried, standing between the two feuding adults. "We need to figure out a game plan! Quick!"

Both parties recoiled, but kept their glares steady.

"Junpei's right," Snake's calm voice rang out. "I believe we should honor Seven's sacrifice. Lotus, I believe you can appreciate a sacrifice more than anyone."

Lotus shut her mouth, no doubt recalling when she was practically delighted to leave Ace behind in the ship.

Snake continued, "If Seven stays, he will stay here with Hongou, and will return to Japan once the older man is fit for travel. From there, he will take Hongou to trial; I imagine you'll be needing my testimony, Seven? In any case, I will give you my number so you can contact me once you return."

"Uh..." Seven stammered, taking off his beanie and twisting it in his palms. "I... I guess so. Yeah. I could use you in court."

Pursing my lips, I said, "We should probably all exchange numbers, in that case. Just... you know, to... keep in touch."

The others nodded and promptly wrote their numbers on small pieces of paper. This reminded me of our group back in the ship voting on numbered doors to enter; I cheated, and of course Ace was quick to deduce that.

Why had he done the Nonary Project, anyway? He did say he wanted to see faces, but there seemed to be more than that. Could there be an alternate reason, one everyone overlooked, that darkened his heart and made him go mad?

Of course, I didn't really _know_ the guy, but that didn't stop me from feeling a little hurt when he showed his true colors. I looked up to him throughout the game; he always kept a cool head in any situation. But watching him change with that crocodile smile of his was more than a little shocking. I really couldn't believe it; he had seemed so normal while trying to tell jokes with me.

Guess you can't trust anyone, huh?

Not even Kanny...

Shaking my head clear of the thought of her, I noticed the others were done exchanging papers. I turned to Seven and said, "Are you sure? This is what you want to do?"

The mountain nodded and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Yep. Thanks, kid, for everything. Stay strong, alright? I'll give ya a call once I'm in Japan."

I gave a nod of my own in response. "Okay. Bye, Seven."

"Bye~!" Clover piped up, playfully punching Seven's arm.

"I'll be looking forward to your call," Snake said with a smile.

Lotus was silent for a moment, her gaze on the floor. After a few seconds, her head snapped up and she marched up to Seven, glaring at him fiercely. "Listen, you rhino. You _will _return with that jackass, and you _will _get his ass into jail. You _will _give me a call whenever you return, and I _may _answer it."

Seven was taken aback, and opened his mouth to retort something back. However, he obviously couldn't think of anything, because not a word escaped his lips. Instead, he simply gave a chuckle and nod to her – a silent understanding between the two of them.

As our group left the hospital in search of an airport, I glanced back once more. The man who had saved nine children's lives (and 9 more, by extension), not to mention _our own_, was standing alone in the lobby. His face, though far away enough by now, still wore an unreadable expression.

"Thanks," I mouthed, not even sure if he could even see me anymore, and turned with our group at the next corner.


	4. The Fight

**Head Trauma**

**Summary: **The jeep crashes on the way back to civilization. Morals come into play when someone they all hate is on the edge of life and death.

**Notes: **Switchedto Seven's POV. :3

Sorry this took so long. XD I'm not dead!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own 999. If I did, you'd see more of the story through Ace's POV. And he'd get more development.

* * *

**Head Trauma**

**Chapter 4: The Fight**

I had _literally _just fallen asleep when an earsplitting noise woke me up. My eyes snapped open, a hand instinctively reaching for the gun (or lack thereof) on my belt.

It was midnight, and Hongou was twitching and writhing on his bed, gasping for air. I ran up to him, unsure of what to do. It was eerie to see him looking at least a little alive; I was sure that he was a goner more than once since the accident.

He may have been alive, but that didn't mean he looked _good_. His eyes were bloodshot and hazy, confusion laced in the irises. He was screaming his throat raw, and yelling out incomprehensible phrases. I grabbed his arms and tried to restrain his thrashing body.

I should've hit the call button, but I wasn't thinking (as usual...). Instead, I was screaming at him to calm down, alerting some nearby nurses of our struggle. They came in and pried me off him, forcing me out of the room.

_...well, damn._

That wasn't pleasant to see, even if it was Hongou.

It had been like this for the past few days. The old man would wake up in the middle of the night making some kinda noise, and I'd have to calm him down. Never thought I'd be murmuring somethin' comforting to Gentarou Hongou of all people – the king of bastards, the asshole tycoon _himself_.

But I don't got it in me to leave someone suffering alone like that. And tonight was the worst so far; he was nearly having a seizure there. The nurses warned me that that could happen, but I wasn't prepared. Damn it. Another job I suck at.

Anyway, I shuffled out of the room and decided to let the medical staff do their jobs. Man, this was probably not good. With my luck, Hongou probably has some sort of severe brain damage that'll take months to heal, if at all.

I really screwed up.

Junpei had told me not to feel guilty, but this stupid cop mentality's stubborn as a bitch. I could've grabbed them all on the way out of the crashing jeep, but I didn't. And truth is, I wasn't even thinkin' about the back. If it had been Snake or Lotus or anyone back there, I wouldn't have grabbed 'em. I would blame the lingering amnesia, but I'm the only incompetent idiot here.

After a few minutes (or hours?) of self-loathing, one of the nurses met me outside the room. "Mr. Hongou has finally calmed down," she explained quietly, "He suffered a minute seizure and nearly went into cardiac arrest."

The words hit my stomach like stones.

She shuffled through her clipboard, pointing to certain parts of it like I'd understand. "According to this MRI scan," she murmured, indicating a dark sheet of paper that I guessed was an X-Ray of Hongou's brain, "Mr. Hongou's life is in more danger than we thought. We're going to need to perform emergency surgery on the occipital and temporal lobes of his brain."

Sheesh, this medical mumbo-jumbo was confusing me. But I nodded my head and continued listening, even though I really didn't get what the hell she was saying. But even I could tell things weren't looking good.

I wondered for the first time what I'd do if Hongou died. I mean, no one would be heartbroken; the guy probably didn't even have any family or friends, and many people would be happy that the monster is gone. But I wondered, selfishly, what it would do to me.

It wouldn't be the first time a criminal would die on me, yeah, but I'd live knowing that I could have prevented this from happening, but didn't act on it.

What kind of stuff would that shit do to a man's soul?

...But enough with this philosophical crap. The nurse was staring at me like I had two heads.

"What is it?"

"We're going to have to perform the surgery tonight. There's no other way."

I nodded. "Okay... uh... I guess I can just chill in the lobby 'til you're done..."

"That's fine, but we need to discuss insurance and payment..."

Rolling my eyes, I retorted, "The guy's rich. Look up his files or something. I haven't got anything on me."

"That's fine, Mr... Yamamoto," one nurse said, using the name I gave them at the desk. Who knows – it could be my real last name.

"What are his chances?" I asked, shoving my hands into my pockets.

"If we proceed quickly... only about fifty-fifty. We're working with extremely sensitive areas of the brain, I'm afraid, and Mr. Hongou is quite damaged."

"Okay, I get it. Emergency surgery. Tonight. ...Good luck." Without saying anything more, I walked down the hall, to the elevators.

...

I didn't know what time it was in America, but I decided to call Junpei anyway. It was the middle of the night here, so he probably wasn't sleeping. After a few rings, a familiar voice sounded on the other end.

"Seven? Jeez, it has to be... like 4 am over there. What are you doing up?"

"Got some news."

"...is Hongou dead?"

"No! Jeez, why is that your first thought?"

"...Well, I mean, that's the whole reason you're still over there, and you called in the middle of the night. You used to be a detective – think, what would those factors tell you?"

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I replied, "Okay, okay, I get it. But I'm tired as fuck, and my head's still fuzzy, so forgive me if I'm not as _sharp _as I used to be. Anyway," I took a deep breath, "It does have to do with Hongou, though. I mean, he's not dead, but he _might _be. He's goin' into surgery, and there's a fifty-fifty chance of survival."

Junpei grew quiet. "...damn," he murmured after a few moments, "I didn't really realize how serious it was."

"Yeah. You still think I shouldn't feel guilty?"

"Seven, it's not your faul-!"

"Shut up, kid. Sugarcoat it all you like, but I fucked up, and someone's payin' the price."

"..."

"Thought so."

"So, why did you call me?"

I sighed. "Dunno. I'm stuck here while the old bastard's in surgery, so I figured I may as well call someone. How is everyone else?"

"Well, we all sort of went our separate ways after the plane landed. But everyone got here safely..."

"...Good."

"Yeah. I don't know if I'm gonna go back to college, though. There's something more important on my mind right now."

"...Junpei, you're not thinkin' of chasing after her, are you?" He couldn't be that stupid, could he? Akane Kurashiki clearly wasn't the sweet little girl he remembered, and she clearly didn't want anything to do with him. Why waste your life tracking down a girl who doesn't want to see your face again?

"I have to, Seven. I... I love Kanny."

The kid probably didn't even know what love was. Then again, did any of us? Ugh, more philosophy.

Sighing, I decided to drop the subject. "Whatever. Listen, if Hongou croaks, I'll be on the next flight home and we can all meet up. But if not, I'm stickin' here til the end. I made my own bed with this one."

"Okay, sounds good. I guess... I hope Hongou makes it."

"Yeah. He deserves a miserable life, not a merciful death." My words were half-hearted, though; I was too tired for malice at this hour, I guess.

"...Since I'm guessing you're down in the lobby instead of a comfy hotel room, try to get some sleep while you can, Seven. All right? I'll talk to you later."

"'Kay. See ya, Junpei." With that, I clicked the phone off and hung it up. I tried to get comfy in the lobby chair and tugged my beanie over my eyes. It was going to be a long night.

...

...and a few hours later, I was still tossing and turning in that room. Every little thing was bothering me: the elevator's unnecessary beeps, the doctors and nurses coming in for their shifts, the fucking snack machine dispensing bags of chips (who the hell needed a snack at that hour?!), among other things. I was so irritable that I ended up going for a walk a few times to calm myself down.

And after a few _more_ hours, one of the nurses finally approached me. Clearly, she had perfected her poker face; I couldn't tell the results of the operation by looking at her expression. I guess medical professions needed to keep an eerily calm disposition.

Anyway, she flipped through that same damn clipboard again, and glanced back up at me. "We have completed the surgery on Mr. Hongou," she explained, and then the corners of her mouth twitched upwardsand I could tell how it went before she said anything. "It was a success."

I rubbed the back of my head, unsure what to think about the whole thing. Hongou being killed would'a been an easy and quick way to rid the world of his presence, yeah, but... something about it bugged me.

"Okay, so... what now?"

Once more looking at her charts, the nurse replied with a small smirk, "You may return to your sentry in his room, if you wish."

I ignored her little grin and nodded. "'Kay. But I was gonna go grab some breakfast in a bit. Will he, y'know, die while I'm gone?"

"No, I believe he will survive you stepping away for a bit."

...well, wasn't she the little sass master. Without even gracing her with an answer, I paced up the elevator to Hongou's floor.

"242... 243... 244," I murmured, finally finding his room. Taking off my beanie almost anxiously, I peered in.

He was... well, he was breathing. He looked dead – pale and broken and fragile – but the heart monitor's steady 'beep's indicated that he was still alive.

Against all the odds – against the bomb in his stomach, a fellow psychopath hungry for revenge, and even my own fuck-up with the jeep – Hongou had pulled through. At least, for now. That had to mean _something_, right?

And despite everything, I couldn't help but sigh with relief and mutter, "Way to go, tiger."


	5. The Haze

**Head Trauma**

**Summary: **The jeep crashes on the way back to civilization. Morals come into play when someone they all hate is on the edge of life and death.

**Notes: **And the plot thickens!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own 999. If I did, you'd see more of the story through Ace's POV. And he'd get more development.

**Head Trauma**

**Chapter 5: The Haze**

"So Hongou survived?" Junpei's voice on the other end sounded a bit too surprised.

"Yep," I replied, peering over at the comatose man in the bed. I was using the payphone outside his room, keeping a watchful eye. "He's still out, so now I'm playing the waiting game."

"What's your plan now?"

I took off my beanie and started fiddling with it. "Right now, I work on remembering more. This amnesia's killing me; I can only remember bits and pieces of stuff before the Nonary Game. That's not gonna help much in court."

"Oh, I get it. Need to get your case all prepared, huh?"

"Yeah. Helps that Hongou is out, too. Less time for him to prepare."

Junpei laughed. "Good point. Snake seems ready to present his testimony; he wouldn't stop reciting it on the fly home. Actually, while we were on the plane, he beat me to a reference to the Mile High Club."

...now _that _was a scene I'm sure the flight attendants didn't appreciate. Actually, I could probably see all four of them causing trouble in the air; Junpei making puns and jokes to the staff, Snake reciting his testimony and being an all-around smug jackass about it, Clover and Lotus getting into catty spats...

If they didn't get banned from American Airlines for life, I'd be really surprised.

But still, after being through a nine-hour-hell with them, I felt particularly attached to the bunch. I hoped that once this whole trial shit was over, we could all hang out. I didn't know where they all lived, but something told me the Nonary Game had kept us all in the same area. I know I didn't go anywhere in the past nine years.

"So everyone got home safely?"

"Yeah, Seven. I keep telling you that. The last I know, Snake was carrying a sleepy Clover into a taxi cab, and Lotus had hailed one of her own. You don't have to worry – we're all fine."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Guess my anxiety about their well-being showed, after all. Whatever. "All right, all right. Well, I guess I'll keep in touch."

Junpei stifled a yawn on the other end. "Yeah... but next time, don't call at four in the morning! I nearly had a heart attack."

"Heh," I chuckled, "See ya, kid," and disconnected. Slowly, I walked back into Hongou's room and sat down in one of the chairs. The plan now was to remember all I could in hopes it would help me put the bastard in jail.

So, first of all, what did I know for sure? I grabbed a piece of paper and jotted down the core facts.

_Nine years ago, Gentarou Hongou, CEO of Cradle Pharmaceuticals, created a "Nonary Game" to test the morphogenetic field connections._

_There were two testing areas – Building Q (in Nevada), and the Gigantic vessel._

_Eighteen children were kidnapped for the experiment, and put into life-threatening situations in order to connect with one another._

Next, I decided to write down any personal memories I had.

_Info received from Cradle employee. Told me a ship would be leaving that night, with all the kids on it. They were gonna be taken to a ship in the middle of the ocean._

_Saw men in suits carrying large sacks. Felt a needle in my neck and woke up in a cell._

_Heard screaming and crying from the vent; crawled through the vent and found nine children in the incinerator. _

_Got them out, but had to go back for a straggler – Akane Kurashiki._

_Hongou appeared and dragged Akane back into the incinerator. She was to connect via the fields or burn. _

This is where it got fuzzy. What I remembered was the charred remains of the girl on the incinerator floor, and her brother in tears. I don't remember Akane stepping out, alive. Why couldn't I remember!? Had she fucked with my mind? If so, I really needed those memories back _now_! Without any proper witnesses – with only a blind man and an amnesiac detective – how could we win the case?! We couldn't, especially if Hongou intended to hire the best damn lawyers he could afford (which I had no doubt he would...).

_Akane appears nine years later somehow and puts nine people into a Nonary Game to save herself from the incinerator..._

I scratched that out instantly, because no one was gonna believe that in a million years. "Fuck," I murmured, shaking my head and rereading the list. How the hell could I prove this shit happened? Without Aoi or Akane or any other kids, our testimonies were useless. Clover may add something, but even then, it would be a long shot.

Damn. It. All.

I growled in frustration and slammed my fists onto my thighs, hissing, "Fuck you, Hongou! Fuck your whole Nonary Project, and fuck this _shit_!"

And of course, I received no response. He just laid there, looking so damn _pitiful_ in a way that made my heart twist. Fuck, this wasn't supposed to happen! That slimy asshole was the last person I should feel sorry for – not when his ambitions nearly cost eighteen lives!

I could've slugged him, but I remembered how fragile he was. But hell, you can bet that the minute he gets better, he's getting as many knuckle sandwiches as I see fit!

Scoffing to myself, I glared at the unconscious man. His face seemed peaceful; it was eerie to see on a face I can clearly remember being scrunched in rage. The oxygen mask puffed air into his lungs, and his head was wrapped in stark white bandages. He was still deathly quiet, but the heart monitor's beeping was at a steady pace. He looked bad, but the charts all indicated that he was okay for now.

I overheard the nurses say something about his chest surgery thingy, but I guess that wasn't their top priority at the moment. They said they'd do it soon, but would like to see if he awakens first within the next few days.

I tended to stay out of their medical talk, but at least I have an ETA of sorts for Hongou's awakening. I honestly couldn't wait to interrogate and confront him; he'd be cornered and realize he's indebted to me. I wondered how he'd react to hearing that if it weren't for me, he'd be dead.

My thoughts were cut off by a subtle, deep rumbling coming from the bed. Arching an eyebrow, I looked over at the old man; he was still motionless, but I noticed his face looking a bit less pale. His fingers began to twitch and the heart monitor sped up.

For a moment, I thought he gonna have a seizure or heart attack or something. I stood up, looking down at him and ready to strike at the first instant of trouble. But what I didn't expect was a pair of hazy brown eyes opening and staring up at me. There was pain in the gaze, and it didn't seem like everything was here yet, but he was _awake_.

That was progress, I guess.

_Shit! _It was then that I realized I was lost on what to say. Clearing my throat, I grunted to him as a greeting. Not surprisingly, he didn't seem to register the noise and continued to look up at me slowly, blinking in a bleary confusion.

"Hongou," I said, more slowly and louder. His eyes widened ever-so-slightly at the word, as if he registered that it was a name. His name.

A strangled gurgle escaped his throat and he tried to sit up.

"Don't move, dumbass!" I yelled, grabbing his shoulders and lightly pushing him back down. He cried out in pain and looked at me once more.

And...

Goddamn it, was that... _fear_?

Oh hell no. Sleeping Beauty was not gonna wake up lookin' like a scared little bitch. I busted my ass trying to save his! It wasn't really fair to him, but I didn't want to see _Gentarou Hongou, _of all evil jerks, looking so frightened. It was not a good look for him; it was something I only want to see when he's cornered in court. He was smart enough to recognize a safe place, wasn't he?

Then, the quietest of words escaped Hongou's lips. "Wh...who..." he rasped, his eyes clearly searching for something.

...of course. Fuck, I had forgotten all about his prosopag-whatsit. That must be a bitch when you're already confused, and _damn _he looked lost. I smacked his cheek lightly, watching as he winced in pain – or surprise. Or both.

"Hey. It's Seven. You know, 'I would've gotten away with it too, if it weren't for that meddling detective!'?"

Okay, so maybe a Scooby-Doo reference wasn't the most appropriate thing to say to a half-dead guy. The look on his face told me he didn't appreciate whatever the hell I was saying; his eyebrows were scrunched together and his eyes were narrowed. He either looked pissed or confused, and judging from the fact that it was _Hongou_, I'm assuming the former.

"Where..." He tried, once more, to form sentences, but I cut him off.

"Hospital. The jeep crashed. Don't you remember?" I glanced down at him, once more feeling a bit of pity.

Slowly, he moved his head back and forth. I put a hand on his clavicle to try to stop him from moving; moving your skull a few days after they messed with your brain was probably a bad idea. I shook my own head, as if to warn him not to do that again. He didn't say anything, but I think he understood.

"You don't remember, huh?" Well, it probably was hard to recall something when it _kills _you.Thank god I went through CPR training as a cop and was able to resuscitate him. Otherwise, he'd be in a hole in the forest floor and I'd be home.

Actually, in retrospect, that didn't sound as bad as I thought.

Clearing my own straying thoughts, I took my beanie off and fiddled with it in my hands. "Well, I'm sure you remember that the Kurashikis were nice enough to give us a jeep. However, bet they didn't count on Clover, the world's worst lolita driver, nearly getting us all killed.

Hongou blinked wearily and licked his dry lips before rasping, "Ku...Kurashikis..."

"Aoi, Akane. You have to remember those kids, if nothing else. I mean, they just ruined your life in one shot. Got rid of your executives and ensnared you into confessing it all. Pretty amazing, if you ask me." I snorted; now that he seemed a bit more awake, it was time to gloat.

"I mean, you thought you had it all planned, didn't you?" I continued, laughing a bit. "Thought you could win the Nonary Game without confessing. Probably would'a killed us all if you had the chance. But we won in the end. They won. Akane Kurashiki lived, and you _lost_." I curled my mouth into a smirk; this probably was a bit cruel, but I'd been holding it in for too long.

Besides, it helped quench the burning pity in the core of my stomach. I didn't like feeling bad for him, so like any fucking _idiot_, I resorted to petty, primary school-esque bullying. Even as I bragged, I knew it wasn't really what I wanted to say.

I just didn't know _what else_ to say.

It didn't seem to have an effect on the older man, though. He just continued to stare blankly at me, his eyes looking a bit more empty than they were when he confessed in the incinerator.

"What is it?" I snapped, my words sounding harsher than I meant them to be.

Hongou just looked away for a moment, and then back up at me. "I really don't know... who or what you're talking about."

...and that's when it hit me.

We were dealing with more than the average confused hospital patient. Figures Hongou'd have to go the extra mile, just to annoy the hell out of me. It was like he was always going to be my foil. I'd run after him shaking my fist in a dramatic fashion, and he'd twinge his "bad guy" curly mustache evilly, snickering "Nyeh heh heh!" or some shit.

Figures the bastard would get hit with amnesia.


	6. The Fear

**Head Trauma**

**Summary: **The jeep crashes on the way back to civilization. Morals come into play when someone they all hate is on the edge of life and death.

**Notes: **And the plot thickens!

Oh, and as you can tell, my account got hacked. If you reviewed before, would you mind doing so again...? If it's not too much trouble. I'm most upset about losing my lovely feedback. :c Oh! And you can thank Tumblr user Plaitcut for the amazing cover image!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own 999. If I did, you'd see more of the story through Ace's POV. And he'd get more development.

**Head Trauma**

**Chapter 6: The Fear**

"Shit. Shit shit shit _shit,_" I mumbled to myself, pacing the hospital's hallways. Welp, there goes my entire fucking case – burned to ashes like a girl in an incinerator.

Amnesia. Even I, the lone wolf cop who rarely plays by the rules, wasn't expecting that. This was eerily similar to my situation, and that was very bothersome in itself.

But to have Hongou so... unresponsive? It was pretty creepy. Well, I mean, he was much more responsive now that he wasn't in a coma, but...

It was like something was missing. His evil chip, maybe? Not surprisingly, he seemed less wicked without the memory of his horrific actions.

As I turned the corner for the millionth time and turned around, I saw Hongou peering at me from his room. After his initial awakening, he had passed out again from the strain. From the looks of it, he had just had another rough wake-up call and was looking towards me in confusion.

"Hongou," I greeted, walking back into the room.

He blinked. "You said that name before. Who... are you referring to?"

_Oh god. _I rolled my eyes and snorted, "It's your name, dumbass. Gentarou Hongou."

I think he flinched. "O-oh. My apologies..." Quietly, he played with the hem of the sheets with his thumb and index finger. "And what may I call you?"

"Seven," I replied. It wasn't like I could remember my real name, anyway, and I didn't want him knowing too much about me. For all I knew, this amnesia thing could be an act.

Okay, so it was pretty hard to fake falsified memories when you first wake up from a coma, but... who knows? Hongou could've messed with the anethesia like he did before. I couldn't trust the guy as hard as I could punch him – and I'm sure he still felt how hard I can punch.

In other words, this memory loss seemed pretty legit, but I couldn't trust him.

As it was, I was still stuck here without anything to do. He still had his chest surgery, and who knows how long this amnesia would last?

The others had left me a chunk of the money, so I bought myself some new clothes and finally got a room at a hotel. I wondered if I could get Hongou to pay for some stuff... Nah. That'd probably be a dirty trick.

Anyway, once I made my reservation via phone, I walked back to Hongou's room. The older man smiled and greeted me, his gaze as lost as it usually was.

"I got a hotel," I began to explain, "I'll be right down the road. You look a lot better than you did, so you should be..." My words trailed off when I watched his hand dart out to clasp my sleeve.

...Jesus Christ. The way he was staring at me was just... I think 'pathetic' is putting it lightly. He was giving me one of those _looks_, and for some damn reason, it was working.

It was the look that kids give when they're clinging to their parents' shirts, begging for their favorite chocolate cereal. It was the stray alley kitten's silent pleading for a home. The puppy wanting to be taken out of the pet shop. Those eyes, silently worming their way into the hearts of those they want to sway. Once you took the bait, you were hooked.

I tried to remind myself that this was the monster who kidnapped and experimented on kids for fun, but... I couldn't see that man anymore. He was buried amongst a dark confusion and lost memories. This man in front of me was a shell of what he was.

Hongou seemed to be silently pleading me not to leave. Who could blame him, really? I mean, here he was, in an unfamiliar place around people who are naturally unfamiliar to him, and he can't remember a damn thing.

I found I had nothing to say other than a small nod of reluctance. "Fine," I murmured after a few moments, "I'll stay here for one more night. But tomorrow, I'm staying in the hotel. Deal?"

His expression seemed to brighten instantly; a light I had, admittedly, never expected to see in _Gentarou Hongou_'s eyes. "Thank you," he replied, the sincerity clear in his voice.

To be honest, this whole thing was really freaking me out. But whatever, I guess I could grow to get along with this "innocent" Hongou – at least until he got his memories back. When that happened, I'm taking his ass to court and I hope he gets locked away for the rest of his life.

I couldn't do much at that point, though. I stayed the night like I promised, sort of keeping a sentry over him when he finally managed to get some sleep.

He was a rough sleeper, I noticed; tossing and turning all night and yanking a few IVs out of him in the process. Each time one was yanked loose, a nurse would flitter on by and put it right back in. It was a quick but noisy process, and that's why neither of us ended up with much rest.

* * *

The next morning, a nurse came in and gave Hongou some painkillers and shitty hospital food for breakfast. I chuckled as he stared in disgust at the mush on his plate.

"Sucks to be you," I snickered. He gazed back at me, his eyes unblinking and confused. But he didn't further elaborate and ate his food wordlessly.

I opted to get some cafeteria food for breakfast (which wasn't terribly better, but still an improvement to Hongou's slop) and stopped at the gift shop. I figured I could find something to pass the time; we'd probably be here for a while, what with the old man still needing to be under heavy medical watch.

So I bought a few things and walked back up to his room. I think the staff was getting used to seeing me; they waved as I went past, to good ol' room 244. They still knew me as "Seven," and I couldn't help bragging to a few of the nurses about this vague heroic tale or that.

Anyway, when I walked into his room, Hongou had just finished his breakfast. Before he got a chance to ask, I identified myself and sat on the chair next to his bed. Fishing through the gift shop bag, I plopped something small onto his bed.

Curiously, he picked it up. "A deck of cards?" he questioned, instinctively taking the stack out of the box.

"Yep," I replied. "You know how to play?"

Pursing his lips, Hongou stared at the cards, shifting them in his palm carefully. "...I... I'm sure, with proper instruction, I can learn."

"So you don't know."

"I don't... remember."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Fine, fine. Look, I'm gonna teach you Go Fish to start. Any objections?"

He shook his head, and I grabbed the cards off him, shuffling them like a professional. I was no stranger to gambling (not that this kids' game was gambling in any way); after this bastard ruined my career as a detective, I spent many a day in the casinos.

I wondered if Hongou was a card player; he seemed like it back in the game, given his nickname. And if I wasn't mistaken, the two of us had a discussion about Baccarat in one of the rooms on the ship. I decided that if he got the hang of Go Fish, I'd step things up a bit and make him lose at Blackjack.

"So here are your cards. Don't show 'em to me," I said, shuffling the deck and handing Hongou his share of it. He nodded and picked the cards up, eyeing them and then flicking his gaze back to me.

I couldn't hide a smirk and looked at my own cards. A four, a seven (heh), a nine, a ten, two jack, a king, and an ace (heh). "So put down your pairs first. If you have two alike cards. Colors don't matter," I explained, putting down my pair of jacks as I did so. He had a pair of sixes.

Couldn't hurt to let him get back in the swing of things. "You can go first," I graciously allowed like the awesome cop I was. "You want to get pairs, so ask me if I have a certain card. If I don't have it, I'll tell you to 'go fish,' and you'll pick a card from the pile."

Hesitantly, he nodded and rasped, "All right. Let's see..." His gaze flicked over the cards once, and I nearly gave a smug grin. It was a game for preschoolers, but the rush of victory still excited me (I was a competitive man, admittedly). And I totally had an advantage here; he probably couldn't even read the damn cards!

"Do you have an ace?"

...Son of a bitch.

I threw the card at him, causing him to tilt his head in response. "Did I do something wrong?" he questioned, collecting the card and looking it over. Blank eyes glided over the face of his cards, as if he was looking for something in the collection of numbers and/or symbols.

"No, you're fine," I said through gritted teeth. The irony was almost too much. "Just put the damn pair down and ask me for another card."

He did as I said, and looked me straight in the eye, asking, "Do you have a seven?"

"Fuck!" I yelled, a bit louder than I'd indicated. What was it, 'Torture the poor detective with irony who has way too much shit on his plate with this amnesiac asshole' Day?! Okay, so maybe I was overreacting, but this was just _ridiculous_.

At my outburst, Hongou had jumped and was staring at me with eyes wide with tangible fear. It wasn't a nice look on him; again, I hated seeing him looking so frightened for no goddamn reason other than some missing memories. I was probably the guy who understood the dementia-like feeling most, yeah, but it still pissed me off seeing my enemy wearing the look.

His gaze lowered as I gave him an irritated look, down to his lap. He played with the hem of the bedsheets between his finger and thumb, licking his lips in nervousness.

Scoffing, I just leaned back in my chair and asked him politely (or about as _politely_ as I can get) to ask me for a card again.

"Are you going to yell?" he asked, timidly. That fear he was showin' was the kind found in a baby rabbit cornered by the fox who ate his mom (dunno why my mind conjured up _that_ analogy). That kinda look that makes you just wanna hug the thing showing it. Not that I'd ever hug Hongou; I wouldn't touch the guy willingly unless he had a gun in his hand or was near death.

My brain was going haywire at that point, but I forced myself to ignore his pitiful look. "No, I'm not," I said gruffly, lowering my gaze to the cards again. "Just ask."

As he looked through his deck uncertainly, I glanced down at my two jack cards sitting neatly on top of each other on the bed. The cards were nearly identical, save for the colors and symbols they displayed and a few minor changes in appearance. If you looked at them all quickly, it was hard to tell them apart. And somewhere in the deck, there were two more jacks, waiting to be paired up together. But the four of them could be freely interchanged, and it wouldn't matter so long as there was a pair.

The four jacks all looked the same, their differences being only their card's identifying symbols. But the jacks themselves... They all looked alike. Not identical, of course, and they weren't all facing the same direction, but it was eerie how their faces matched up with one another. If they all had the same clothes on and were all looking a certain way, I'd bet you couldn't tell 'em apart.

It'd be like their faces were all the same.

The thought sent a chill down my spine. Glancing up at the hesitant Hongou, I sighed. This man lived through that every day of his life. Must suck. It wasn't an excuse for kidnapping children, but it was pretty damn _sad_ when you thought about it. No wonder he was so screwed up.

An idea struck me. My instincts protested instantly – like hell I'd want to make him more _comfortable _willingly _–_ but I knew I'd be going through with it all the same. I learned years ago that I can't fight the good cop mentality rooted within me. Besides, it was _my_ fault Hongou was so out of it right now. Damn conscience.

"Hey," I said finally, putting my deck down (I didn't feel like playing anymore, anyway – let him have his little victory). "See this hat?" I pointed to the orange beanie on my head.

Slowly, he nodded, a confused look glazing over his eyes.

"I may leave at times, but I'll always come back, and I'm always gonna be wearing this hat. So you can identify me with this. Okay?"

He blinked a few times before curling his lips into a smile and nodding again. Admittedly, I was a bit taken aback by his expression; it was a gentle, genuine smile I never expected to see on him. Given how the only time I'd seen him smile was in dire situations, and those smiles were those of a deranged maniac, it was easy to get how it threw me off. And dammit, he didn't _deserve_ to look this happy, this grateful... It was as if this one little gesture meant the world to him. He had no right.

But I still found myself smiling back all the same.


End file.
